The present invention relates to a method and a system for evaluating driving conditions of a vehicle whereby drivability is evaluated as the vehicle is driven under different driving conditions.
In recent years, various proposals have been made to provide ways of detecting biological information on a driver driving a vehicle and using such information for vehicle control. Further, various proposals have also been made to provide methods for evaluating drivability of a vehicle by using a driver's myoelectric potentials.
For example, JP 2005-087485 A describes a method whereby a driver's myoelectric potentials such as those of his/her deltoid muscles are measured as the driver steers a vehicle in order to evaluate the drivability thereof.
JP 2005-087485 A proposes a device for evaluating the degree of operation comfort felt during operation. The device therein described uses a detection sensor to detect myoelectric potentials of a plurality of muscles generated by the muscle activities of the human body as the driver steers a vehicle or otherwise operates the vehicle. The detected myoelectric potentials are amplified to produce myoelectric potential waveforms, which are used to generate a simultaneous contraction intensity of those muscles. On the other hand, the level of operation load intensity generated during operations is calculated at the timing of the generation of a simultaneous contraction intensity to normalize the simultaneous contraction intensity with the calculated operation load intensity level in order to evaluate the degree of operation comfort. This enables evaluation of the degree of operation comfort according to the description.
JP 2007-000280 A, on the other hand, describes a device that measures signals from such biomarkers as brain waves, respiration, body temperature, nictitation, and cardiac beats and uses these biomarkers to determine the driver's wakefulness level in order to accurately determine his/her decreased wakefulness as he/she drives.